Strong customer service is important for any destination retailer, but it is of utmost importance at hotel and resort gift shops. These retailers serve a captive audience of guests who will be staying on-site not far from the gift shop for several days to several weeks at a time. Even if an outside concessionaire or vendor manages a hotel’s gift shop, guests expect the service in the gift shop to match the service that is offered in and around the hotel.
Heidi Kama, area director of Hawaii Hospitality for Event Network, oversees eight retail gift shops at six Hawaii resorts. Some of those resorts are more high-end spots with luxury boutiques. Others are family-oriented resorts with more traditional hotel gift shops. Regardless of the resort or the shop, Kama says each store needs to reflect the vibe of the resort and resonate well with guests.
With the popularity of the Bruce the Moose mascot, Timber Ridge Lodge features moose on many of its souvenirs: T-shirts, hoodies, drinkware and plush.
“We partner with the resort directors and executive teams to make sure that we are meeting their expectations in regard to not only the product that we have for guests on hand but also the experience that we deliver to the guest,” she says. “We want to make sure the guests cannot tell if it’s an Event Network store, rather it’s one fluid experience for the guest, from their hotel room to the restaurant to the gift shop.”
In a well-run resort, themes flow seamlessly, ensuring customers feel connected no matter what part of the resort they’re visiting. In Geneva, Wisconsin, for example, the Grand Geneva Resort and its Timber Ridge Lodge both feature a northern woodland theme across the complexes that ties the resort experience together for customers. Director of Retail Sheila Campbell makes sure moose-themed merchandise is plentiful at the two resort gift shops, as well.
“There’s a lot of moose themes here!” she says. “We have a couple of restaurants here on the property, one is Moose & Maple, and in the waterpark there’s a grille called Hungry Moose. Timber Ridge has Bruce the Moose as its mascot, and he’s predominant at both locations and is featured on the merchandise.”
Earlier this year, Event Network opened a gift shop at the Grand Hyatt Indian Wells Resort & Villas in Palm Springs, California, with a mix of resortwear, gifts, souvenirs and travel essentials. To ensure the gift shop connects well to the rest of the resort, Store Director David Vargas says he took some inspiration from the resort’s culinary team to develop his vision for the gift shop.
“The Grand Hyatt’s culinary team has a philosophy to thoughtfully source and carefully serve, reflecting their commitment to partnering with local and regional purveyors to bring the freshest, highest quality ingredients to every table at the resort restaurants. I thought that philosophy is also great to reflect in retail, but through our products instead of ingredients,” he says. “At the resort, we want to thoughtfully source with high-quality products, but also carefully display the merchandise to give people the best guest experience.”
With a focus on service and high-quality resort experiences, these destination retailers often put a lot of thought into what keepsakes will stand out most to guests.
Fan favorites and fads
Stocking staple souvenirs with the resort logo is a winning strategy for some resorts and hotels. At Grand Geneva Resort and Timber Ridge Lodge, the mascot Bruce the Moose dominates sales on souvenirs, including T-shirts, cups, mugs and magnets. Campbell says moose plush is also a hit with the kids, particularly at the Timber Ridge Lodge shop.
Desert motifs do well on souvenirs at the Grand Hyatt Indian Wells store.
Lately, collectible rocks have been raking in a lot of sales for the Grand Geneva Resort and Timber Ridge Lodge gift shops, too.
“That’s our No. 1 item right now,” says Campbell. “You can purchase a bag, then you can pick rocks to fill in it. The collectible rocks are a big attraction in the shop — the kids are always there by the rocks!”
To build on the rock craze, Campbell adds that she just started carrying geodes as well, which have been popular so far.
When selecting apparel for the new Grand Hyatt Indian Wells gift shop, Vargas says he considered trendy options. The gift shop carries the Bad Birdie golf apparel brand, which is popular in part because of its appearance on the Shark Tank TV show.
“Guests come in and a lot of the men recognize the brand, which has fun shirts and fun patterns,” says Vargas.
Mini tumbler souvenirs are also trending this year, and Kama says she’s noticed their popularity at her resort stores. She says she began carrying mini tumblers at some of her stores that feature either sea turtle icons or the word “aloha” on them for guests to collect and take home.
“I’ve seen customers use these tumbler cups to hook onto their purse or use as espresso shots, so those are fun,” she says.
Four Seasons Resort Oahu at Ko Olina might be a bit of a luxurious destination, but Kama says customers at that resort love the namedrop caps.
“Four Seasons logo-wear is a strong selling department, especially in that location,” she says, adding that she has seen customers come in wearing Four Seasons’ caps from other resorts around the world. “They buy a cap to add to their collection!”
Repping the region
Resort guests also appreciate when souvenirs in the gift shop are sustainable, locally made or give back to the surrounding community. Kama says she has noticed a lot of guests go into the Hawaiian resort gift shops in hopes of finding merchandise that supports Maui-owned businesses after the 2023 Lahaina wildfires.
“If we have vendors from Maui, they gravitate to purchasing those to help and support that community, even now two years after the fires,” she says.
Kama says she tries to have a feature in each resort store that showcases some gifts from local vendors, such as Hawaiian-made swimwear, jewelry or lotions. She shares that she often attends Made in Hawaii vendor shows to find new vendors.
Homemade fudge has been popular at the Grand Geneva Resort gift shop lately, and Campbell notes that fudge is a newer addition.
Camp mugs, tumblers and stemless wine glasses can be great functional souvenirs.
“A store that offered fudge in downtown Lake Geneva closed a few years ago, so we bought all their fudge equipment and the fudge maker decided to work for the resort,” explains Campbell. “She has quite the reputation! We’re lucky. We now make the fudge in the resort kitchen, so not right in the shop, but it’s on the property. That sells very well.”
Highlighting locally made Palm Springs gifts has also been a good strategy at the Grand Hyatt Indian Wells gift shop.
“Guests want to know the story behind the items, where they’re made or even if they’re made from recycled materials,” says Vargas. “That gives them a better connection to the products and they’re more likely to make a purchase.”
Add to the experience
Experiential retail at resort gift shops encourages customers to linger and browse for longer, which helps to boost sales for these retailers.
Campbell says a nearly seven-foot statue of Bruce the Moose made entirely of LEGOs has served as a selfie station at the Timber Ridge Lodge gift shop.
“Kids love to come and have their pictures taken with it. We even have some logoed items that resemble the LEGO moose,” says Campbell.
To give customers one-of-a-kind experiences, Event Network’s Hawaiian Hospitality stores will occasionally host trunk shows at the gift shops that invite guests to meet the makers or designers of brands featured in the stores.
“We’ll have a meet-the-maker spot at the trunk show, whether that’s a local vendor that comes and puts up a jewelry bar or invites them to create custom pieces of jewelry,” she says. “Customizable experiences are important. When guests come to these properties in Hawaii, we think about their experiences when they’re here. How can we up the experience and do something more personable that they can interact with? We host our trunk shows to provide that.”
Offering very curated merchandise selections and retail experiences are both important factors in resort retail. Some customers visit the Grand Hyatt Indian Wells Resort for the popular Coachella Valley music festivals in the springtime, and others come for popular tennis or golf events nearby. Vargas says he likes to engage with all the customers to make sure the gift shop features displays that are tailored to whatever event is happening at the time, be it a golf event or a big music festival.
“At hotel shops, you need to be more curated with your merchandise,” he says. “With a more curated selection, it creates a more intimate and comfortable shopping environment for the guests.”
